Sterigmatocystin is a mycotoxin produced by fungi of many Aspergillus species and it is a biogenic precursor of aflatoxin B1. For analysis of various mycotoxins to clean up sample extracts, mainly solid phase extraction (SPE) is used. An elution of sterigmatocystin from Strata X and Strata C18 SPE columns by different acetonitrile-water and methanole-water solutions were checked in this paper. Acquired results showed a possible suitability of both columns for the analysis of sterigmatocystin.

Vegetable oils are essential providers of energy to a human body; they play important role as a foodstuff. During processing and storage of vegetable oils, they may undergo molecular changes adverse to the human organism affecting the quality of the oils. The content of fatty acids of fresh rapeseed, linseed and hemp oils and of the mixture of rapeseed (800 g kgE-1) and linseed (200 g kgE-1) oils was determined by the method of gas chromatography (GH). Alpha - , delta - and gamma - tocopherols were analyzed in the vegetable oils by the methods of the highly effective liquid chromatography (HPLC). The hemp oils contain the indispensable polyunsaturated fat acids: linoleic acid - 53.0%, and linolenic acid - 23.2%. Such proportion of the fatty acids (3:1) is considered optimal in the nutrition. When using both hot and cold pressure technology for the obtaining of oil, it is possible that the polycyclical aromatic hydrocarbon - Benzo[a]pyrene - may be created and influenced the quality of the oil. The environment also affects the content of the lead in the oils. The density of the various vegetable oils at the temperature of 20 +- deg C proved to be within the limits of 0.917 and 0.942 kg dmE-3.

The role of Bifidobacterium lactis and the effect of the addition of inulin and lactulose on the viscosity of a functional fermented milk product have been investigated. The effect of chosen starter and prebiotics on the properties of the functional fermented milk was significant for the apparent viscosity. Generally the viscosity of analyzed products was lower than the viscosity of classical fermented milk products, such as yoghurt, kefir or others. The viscosity was strongly affected by the content of total solids of the analyzed products: with an increase in the total solids there was increase in the viscosity. Among analyzed fermented milk samples, sample with 5% of lactulose had the highest viscosity. In general, inulin did not seem to have an effect on the viscosity of the analyzed product samples compared with the control sample. Bifidobacterium lactis has a weak proteolytic activity; therefore the structure and consistency of functional fermented milk product were characterized as weak, too. It is known that inulin is not only dietary fibre or prebiotic, it has the functions of food additives, too. Inulin is added to food formulations to modify products' texture or viscosity and sweetness of products. Comparison of the obtained results shows that the viscosity of the functional fermented milk product with various concentrations of lactulose or inulin is different. This suggests that the role of inulin in a food matrix is bi-functional. Inulin does not increase the viscosity of a milk product but gives a richer texture to liquid products and spreads.

Meat is muscle tissue from animals. It is a good source of protein. The meat of various species also is good source for micronutrients and vitamins. Ostrich meat differs from the meat of other animals. It is no fat; it is lean and easily separated from bones and connective tissue. It is more digestible compared to other types of meat, soft and does not require long culinary treatment. Although it can be compared with beef due to its red colour and taste, ostrich meat is as tender as chicken meat, and is characterized by short muscle fibre. The objective of study was to determine the A, E, B1, B2 and B5 vitamins content in ostrich meat and compare it with beef and chicken produced in Latvia and available at retail. All vitamins are determined by standard methods according to AOAC Official Standard Methods: vitamin A - 974.29, vitamin E - 971.30, vitamin B1- 986.27, vitamin B2 - 970.25, and vitamin B5 - 961.14. The obtained results showed that ostrich meat contains significant quantities of vitamins B1, B2 and B5. The highest content in ostrich meat was calculated for B5 (11.45 mg 100gE-1) and the lowest - for B2 (0.098 mg 100gE-1). Ostrich meat contains more than 18 % of vitamins B1 and B2 and more than 7.5 % of B5 compared with beef, and more than 30 % of vitamins B1 and B2 and more than 27 % of B5 compared with chicken. The content of vitamin E is highest in ostrich meat then follows chicken and beef. Regarding vitamin A, ostrich meat has only traces of it.

A research has been done on the possibility to increase the range of beer drinks by substituting hops with additives of other plants in the wort boiling process. The obtained data present evidence of the possibility of substituting hops by oak bark, yarrow, wormwood and oak acorn.

In order not to decrease the significance of a forest in the environmental maintenance and its role in the national economy, Latvian Forest policy needs to ensure that the existing forest areas are not decreasing, establish forest land transformation restrictions, thus, maintaining a long lasting development of forests. The preconditions for the change of the forest land use is one of the instruments for the state policy realisation, with the help of which a long-term development of forests can be ensured. At the moment working out the land policy in Latvia on a country level is being started. The publication is in the context of setting strategic targets for forestry and human resource development planning strategy, within the framework of Latvian forest and related department national programme. Due to the reasons mentioned, the topic discussed in the article is a problem of the day, and the research in this direction has got both theoretical and practical significance. The author investigate the forest land transformation process, by analysing normative acts and political documents in the article, as well as by summarising statistical data about the relevant processes in Latvia and in the world, during last six years. The issues, related to the forest land transformation process have been covered in the article; it has been analysed whether there are cases when a necessity arises to review the existing normative regulations. The answers have been given how to eliminate identified shortcomings, contradictions or problems.

The task of this paper is to create a simulation model of wood resource flow, enabling analysis of the flow of resources to the customer. The model consists of four modelling steps - the study of the system, the creation of conceptual and logical model, as well as data analysis. The model has been developed in UML (Unified Modelling Language) diagrams and the simulation model has been created using software EXTEND Industry. For the simulation of the model the scenario has been created. Based on this scenario, extended scenarios have been developed. Model of basic simulation represents the loading of resources into the transport, transportation, discharging from the transport and the return to the loading point. Using this basic scenario, the extended scenario has been created. This scenario analyzes the flow of wood resources to the customer, taking into account two criterions restricting the flows - assortment to be processed and the distance from the loading place to the customer's location. Extended scenario allows to analyze the load of each sector, as well as to follow each unit existent in the process of simulation. There are attributes of information (type, assortment etc.) added to the unit equivalent to 1m**3 of wood resources. These attributes can provide information about the unit flow within any part of the process.

Highly polluted wastewater is formed on private farms. The wastewater contains Ntotal and Ptotal concentrations up to 150 mg lE-1 and 30 mg lE-1 respectively, which is 2-3 times higher than that contained in domestic wastewater. During the biological treatment of wastewater the removal of organic pollutants (BOD5- biochemical oxygen demand, and SS - suspended solids) is about 96% and the treatment efficiency satisfies the environment protection standards. However, the removal of biogenic pollutants is only 55%, thus the residual pollution with biogenic substances exceeds the maximum allowable rate according to Ntotal and Ptotal for wastewater released into the environment. Currently, different natural and artificial powdery mineral materials (zeolite, filtralite, etc.) containing metals and carbon compounds are transported into Lithuania. Such materials could be used as Ntotal and Ptotal adsorbing filters. In respect of the filter load with pollutants, biologically pre-treated wastewater treatment efficiency of Ntotal and Ptotal was determined to be from 50 to 91% and from 49 to 90% respectively. Having filtrated to the wastewater through a filter containing 50% of zeolite and 50% of filtralite, Ntotal and Ptotal removal efficiency was fluctuating from 28 to 60% and from 23 to 70% respectively. Having made the investigations with different loads of minerals, it was determined that N removal is more efficient in the zeolite mineral filter, while P removal is more efficient in the filtralite filter. In order to reach the best results of biogenic pollution removal, both mineral mixtures should be used for the load of the filter.

The objective of the present studies has been to estimate peculiarities of nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands of different construction. In limited companies (LTD) 'Pastoge' and 'Nikola', constructed wetlands of vertical flow (VFCW) are arranged, while limited company (LTD) 'Agaras' has two-stage constructed wetlands of horizontal flow (HFCW). In all the objects the supplied wastewater is after primary treatment. Having compared the efficiency of ammonium and nitrite nitrogen removal in two types of constructed wetlands (VFCW and HFCW) it was determined that larger amounts of total nitrogen are removed in HFCW (38.1%) rather than in VFCW (24.4%). However, in VFCW smaller amounts of ammonium and nitrite nitrogen are discharged with wastewater. No significant effect of the fluctuations of ambient temperature on the removal of ammonium and nitrite nitrogen was observed in HFCW (difference in average values of cold and warm periods was 3-8%). A rather reliable relation (R2 = 0:738) was determined between ammonium nitrogen concentrations in wastewater outflow and HFCW load according to total nitrogen, however, ammonium nitrogen amounts in treated wastewater (when filter load according to total nitrogen is 0.3 to 4.6 g mE-2 dE-1) exceeded the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) and were fluctuating from 6 to 32 mg lE-1.

The objective of the present studies has been to estimate wastewater treatment efficiency of surface-flow wetlands for finishing treatment of secondary effluent. The studies have been carried out within the reconstructed wastewater treatment facilities in Babenai (Kedainiai district, Lithuania), where, after the initial wastewater treatment in the septic tanks and biological ponds, a plant filter has been set for finishing the wastewater treatment. The removal efficiency of the main pollutants in the filter like BOD5, suspended solids, total N (nitrogen), and total P (phosphorus) has become the focus of the analysis as well. Wastewater treatment efficiency analysis was done on base measurements taken in all seasons of the year within the period 2003-2006. Surface-flow wetlands are characterised by good removal efficiency of the organic pollutants. At the average load of the examined plant filter - 0.9 mg O2 lE-1 BOD5 (biochemical oxygen demand), the removal efficiency reached up to 61.2%. Low winter temperatures reduce the rate of removal for BOD and the biological reactions responsible for nitrification and denitrification. During the warm period of the year, the treatment efficiency of BOD5 was 70.8%, and during the cold one - 52.4%. However, the total N constituted up to 16.7% and 9.7% respectively. Due to the anoxic and anaerobic conditions in the filter, wastewater after the treatment on average contains 66.0% of ammonium nitrogen of the total N concentration. After a year, with the growth of plants the phosphorus removal efficiency improved and at the average load of the examined plant filter according to P 0.063 g mE-2 dE-1, on average 0.018 g mE-2 dE-1 of the total P was removed, i.e., the removal efficiency constituted 28.6%.